Digitally addressable gas discharge display apparatus

ABSTRACT

A digitally addressable gas discharge display including a reservoir for providing ionizable gas and a plurality of gas discharge display cells. The device includes a plurality of addressing electrodes each having a plurality of apertures therethrough. The addressing electrodes are arranged in stacked configuration so that the apertures are aligned to form gas conductive channels extending from the reservoir to the display cells, respectively. The addressing electrodes are adapted for selective connection to sources of electrical potential whereby gas discharge columns are extended from the reservoir through selected channels thereby igniting gas discharges in selected display cells.

United States Patent [1 1 Lustig et al.

[ Aug. 14, 1973 DIGITALLY ADDR'ESSABLE GAS DISCHARGE DISPLAY APPARATUS Inventors:

Assignee:

' Filed:

Claude D. Lustig, Lexington; Albert W. Baird, 111, Burlington, both of Mass.

Sperry Rand Corporation, New

York, NY.

Nov. 18, 1970 Appl. No.: 90,538

US. Cl. 315/169 TV, 315/169 R Int. Cl; H051) 37/00 Field olSearch 315/169, 169 TV References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Caras 315/169RX Rosenberg Archer et a1 315/169 R 3,264,074 8/1966 Jones 315/169 R Primary Examiner-Roy Lake Assistant Examiner-Lawrence .1. Dahl Attorney-S. C. Yeaton [5 7] ABSTRACT A digitally addressable gas discharge display including a reservoir for providing ionizable gas and a plurality of gas discharge display cells. The device includes a plurality of addressing electrodes each having a plurality of apertures therethrough. The addressing electrodes are arranged in stacked configuration so that the apertures are aligned to form gas conductive channels extending from the reservoir to the display cells, respectively. The addressing electrodes are adapted for selective connection to sources of electrical potential whereby gas discharge columns are extended from the reservoir through selected channels thereby igniting gas discharges in selected display cells.

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ATTORNEY DIGITALLY ADDRESSABLE GAS DISCHARGE DISPLAY APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention pertains to visual display apparatus particularly of the gas discharge variety.

2. Description of the Prior Art Digitally addressable visual displays of the dot matrix variety are known that selectively position an electron beam to impinge upon a phosphor screen thus providing a display. The beam positioning is achieved by a stack of dynode electrodes having apertures therethrough forming a plurality of channels for positioning the beam. Digital voltages applied to electrically isolated portions of the dynodes cause the electron beam to emerge from a selected channel to impinge upon the phosphor screen. The inner surfaces of the channels are coated with a secondary electron emitting material to provide beam multiplication. In devices of this type, beam multiplication is necessary because of the beam bisecting effect of passage through the dynodes. A large surface area, relatively impractical, cathode is required in such devices to provide the source of electrons. Hence, it is appreciated that such devices suffer from the disadvantages of requiring complex dynode addressing electrodes and impractical cathode structures. Such devices have the further disadvantages of not providing adequate brightness for all applications and of not having memory means for continuously displaying an image after the addressing signals have been removed. This latter disadvantage is particularly undesirable in remote computer data link displays in that the required continuous renewal of the displayed images unduly occupies the communication channels.

Dot matrix displays are also known that utilize the gas discharge principle to provide the display illumination. Although such devices normally provide adequate brightness for most applications, such devices have heretofore suffered from numerous disadvantages. For example, prior gas discharge display panels require complex addressing equipment to selectively ignite the elements of the display. This problem is particularly aggravated in large panel displays of a type required in many modern applications. Prior gas discharge displays also often suffer from display cell ionization delays that limit the rate at which information may be provided. This often results in display flicker or cells not firing. in addition, many prior art gas discharge displays do not include memory means hence suffering from the undesirable limitations discussed above.

Attempts have been made in the past to provide remedies to these disadvantages. For example, display devices are known that solve the ionization delay problem by utilizing dual level gas discharge cells communicating by small apertures in common cathodes. The gas in the cells of one level are ionized, the metastable atoms of the gas diffusing into the connecting cells through the small apertures thus providing preionization to the gas therein. in addition, these devices provide serial addressing techniques that somewhat simplify the required addressing equipment compared to prior approaches but still require relatively complex addressing schemes for large arrays for cells bright enough to be easily visible. Additionally, these devices suffer from the limitation of not having memory capabilities hence requiring continuous refreshing of the displays as previously discussed with respect to other prior art devices. It is further believed that these devices may be limited in operation to the use of a dual contigent gas such as a Penning mixture (99.5 percent neon and 0.5 percent argon).

Other prior art art gas discharge displays that incorporate memory means normally require unduly complex addressing schemes and potentially may suffer from ionization delays.

Although the known gas discharge display devices may variously solve some of the individual problems discussed above, while suffering from other of the problems, a display has heretofore not been provided that solves all of the problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention comprises gas discharge display apparatus utilizing an addressing scheme providing unprecedented simplicity particularly useful in large panel gas discharge displays. The device of the present invention incorporates a memory capability, solves the problem of ionization delays, and is not limited in the choice of ionizable gas. These features are provided by a relatively simple structure that is economical to manufacture.

The device of the present invention comprises a reservoir for providing ionizable gas and a plurality of gas discharge memory cells. The addressing equipment of the device includes a plurality of electrodes each having a plurality of apertures therethrough. The addressing electrodes are arranged in superposed, i.e., stacked, configuration so that the apertures align to form gas conductive channels extending from the reservoir to the memory cells, respectively. The addressing elecutilized in applications where the ionization delays may be tolerated. This modification comprises the structure of the previously described device with the reservoir replaced by a cathode member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGS. 1a and lb are an exploded perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a modification of the preferred embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. 1, a gas discharge display device 10 is illustrated. The device 10 comprises, in accordance with the present invention, a reservoir 11 for containing an ionizable gas, a stack of addressing anode electrodes l2, and a plurality of gas discharge display memory cells 13.

It will be understood in the description following that the electrically conductive members of the display 10 are comprised of any suitable metal and that the electrically isolating members thereof are comprised of any suitable insulating material. A suitable choice of materials may, for example, be nickel-iron alloy (51 percent nickel and 49 percent iron) of a type in wide spread commerical usage in electron tube devices, and sodalime glass, respectively. The coefficients of thermal expansion of these materials are substantially identical providing manufacturing advantages well appreciated in the art.

It is further understood that the display device is adapted to be filled, by any convenient method (not shown) with a suitable ionizable gas such as, for example, Penning mixture (99.5 percent neon and 0.5 percent argon).

The reservoir 11 is comprised of a cathode plate 14, an electrically insulating spacer shim 15 and an anode plate 16. With the members 14, 15 and 16 assembled, a reservoir is formed which is adapted to be filled with an ionizable gas as previously described. A suitable source 17 of ionizing potential is connected, through a disharge stablizing resistor 20, across the cathode 14 and the anode 16 for reasons to be discussed. For reference, the anode 16 is connected, for example, to ground potential. A plurality of apertures are disposed through the anode plate 16 forming a matrix configuration, for reasons to be clarified. An 8 X 8 matrix of 64 apertures is illustrated for purposes of explanation.

vThe stack of addressing anodes 12 is comprised of anode plates 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 and 26 each of which has a plurality of apertures therethrough forming a matrix configuration in a manner similar to that described with respect to the plate 16. The number of addressing anodes required is selected in accordance with the number of apertures in a manner to be described. lnterposed between the addressing anodes 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 and 26 are electrical insulators 29, 30, 31, 32 and 33, respectively, each having a matrix of apertures therethrough in a manner similar to that described with respect to the addressing anodes 21-26. Additionally, an apertured insulating plate 34 is interposed between the anode 16 and the addressing electrode 21.

Each of the addressing anodes 21-26 is comprised of two electrically conductive portions electrically isolated from each other, one-half of the apertures of each anode plate being disposed through each of the portions respectively. For example, the addressing anode 21 is comprised of portions 35 and 36 and the addressing anode 22 is comprised of portions 37 and 38. The portion 35 contains one-half of the adjacent columns of the matrix of apertures and the portion 36 contains the other half thereof. The portion 37 contains one-half of the adjacent rows of the matrix while the portion 38 contains the other half thereof.

The addressing anode 23 is comprised of portions 39 and 40 and the addressing anode 24 is comprised of portions 41 and 42. The portion 39 contains one-half of the alternate pairs of adjacent columns of the matrix of apertures and the portion 40 contains the other half thereof. The portion 41 contains one-half of the alternate pairs of adjacent rows of the matrix while the portion 42 contains the other half thereof.

The addressing anode 25 is comprised of the portions 43 and 44 and the addressing anode 26 is comprised of the portions 45 and 46. The portion 43 contains onehalf of the alternate columns of the matrix of apertures and the portion 44 contains the other half thereof. The portion 45 contains one-half of the alternate rows of the matrix while the portion 46 contains the other half thereof.

For the configuration shown in FIG. 1, it is noted that the addressing anodes 21, 23 and 25 are identical in fonn to the addressing anodes 22, 24 and 26 respectively but positioned orthogonally to them. Other anode configurations and orientations are also possible.

The portions 35-46 are connected to addressing circuits 51 through leads 52-63 respectively. The addressing circuits 51 comprise conventional circuits for selectively applying either a positive or negative potential to each of the leads 52-63, in a manner and for reasons to be discussed.

The plurality of gas discharge display memory cells 13 are comprised of a cathode plate 70, an electrically insulating plate 71 and a transparent metal anode film 72 disposed on the surface 73 of a transparent insulating cover plate 74. The plates and 71 each have a matrix of apertures therethrough in a manner similar to that described with respect to the plate 16. The anode film 72 comprises any suitable transparent metal film, such as tin oxide, deposited on the surface 73 of the plate 74. Additionally, an apertured insulating plate 69 is interposed between the addressing anode 26 and the cathode plate 70. It is understood that the plurality of apertures in the cathode plate 70 and the corresponding plurality of apertures in the insulating plate 71 in combination with the anode film 72 form the plurality of gas discharge cells 13.

It is appreciated that alternatively a fine metal mesh may be utilized instead of the anode film 72. A further alternative design is to utilize an apertured metal anode plate instead of the transparent plate 74 and anode film 72, this apertured plate being suitably sealed to retain the ionizable gas.

A suitable source 75 of gas discharge sustaining potential is connected across the cathode 70 and the anode 72 for reasons to be explained. The cathode 70 is also connected through a suitably large valued isolating resistor 76 to the anode 16 at the ground connection thereof for reasons to be later discussed.

It should be appreciated that the cathode 70 may be utilized as an anode and the anode 72 utilized as a cathode by reversing the polarity of the source 75 and incorporating a suitable construction for the electrode lt is now appreciated that the anode plate 16, the addressing electrode plates 21-26, the insulating plates 29-34 as well as the insulating plates 69 and 71 and the cathode plate 70 are superposed, i.e., stacked, with respect toeach other so that the respective matrices of apertures align to form a plurality of gas conductive channels extending from the reservoir 11 to the plurality of gas discharge cells 13, respectively.

' It is further appreciated that plate members 14-16, 21-26, 29-34, 69-71 and 74 are contiguously stacked and sealed at the edges thereof by any convenient means (not shown) to form a gas tight structure. Alternatively, the plate members forming the structure 10 may be mounted inside a gas tight envelope (not shown) with electrical connections made through gas tight seals in the envelope.

The operating principles of the present invention will now be explained with respect to FIG. 1. The gas contained in the reservoir 11 is ionized by the source of potential 17 thus causing a glow discharge over the surface area of the cathode 14. The gas discharge sustaining potential is applied across the display cells 13 by the source 75. By suitable application by the addressing circuits 51 of positive and negative potentials selectively to the portions of the addressing anodes 21-26,

a gas discharge column is extended therethrough in a selected channel to emerge from the selected aperture in the anode 26. Particles from the excited gas discharge column enter the associated one of the display cells 13 partially ionizing the gas therein and causing ignition thereof by the voltage applied by the source 75. The source 75 maintains the discharge in the selected cell after the discharge column has been extinguished by removing the addressing potentials. It is thus appreciated that the sustaining potential provided by the source 75 must be chosen intermediate the firing potential of the gas in the display cells when partially ionized by a gas discharge column from the addressing anodes and the firing potential of the gas when not so ionized.

The detailed operation of the display device will now be explained in terms of selectively igniting a gas discharge in a display cell 80. With the potentials from the sources 17 and 75 applied as explained above, the addressing circuits 51 are activated to provide positive potentials to the portions 35, 37, 39, 41, 43 and 45 of the addressing anodes 21-26, respectively, the portions 36, 38, 40, 42, 44 and 46 thereof having negative potentials applied thereto. Under these conditions, discharge columns are extended through all of the apertures of the portion 35 and are inhibited from passage through the apertures of the portion 36. Of the discharge columns passing through the portion 35 only those incident upon the portion 37 are transmitted therethrough. Those columns incident upon the portion 38 are inhibited from further passage. In a similar manner, only those columns passing through the portion 37 that are incident upon the portion 39 are transmitted therethrough. The columns incident upon the portion 40 are inhibited from further passage. Similarly, the number of discharge columns is further reduced by the anodes 24, 25 and 26 until only one column emerges from the aperture 81 of the anode 26 igniting the selected cell 80 in the manner previously described. Once ignited, a pattern of lit cells will be maintained energized by the sustaining potential from the source 75 until erased by a momentary reduction or removal of this potential.

it is now appreciated that the amplitudes of the positive potentials applied by the addressing circuits 51 to the respective addressing anodes 21-26 are selected in increasing fashion to correspond to the increasing distances of the respective anodes from the reservoir 11 in accordance with the well known gas discharge laws. The voltages must also be selected to preclude gas discharge breakdown between any of the electrodes 16 and 21-26 in a manner to be clarified. Breakdown must further be prevented between the cathode 70 and any of the electrodes 14, 16 and 21-26. This is accomplished by the isolating resistor 76 that prevents significant current flow therebetween. In general, an electrical connection between the cathode 70 and the anode 16 is required to prevent the cathode 70 from floating to an arbitrary potential which could cause an undeisrable breakdown between the cathode 70 and the addressing anodes 21-26.

It is further to be appreciated that the potentials provided by the addressing circuits 51 may be narrow pulses having durations sufficient to ignite the cells 13, which once ignited are so maintained by the source 75. It is further appreciated that the gas in the reservoir 11 may be pulsed into ionization only when selected display cells are to be ignited or alternatively the gas may be maintained in a continuously ionized state depending upon the usage to which the invention is applied.

It is now appreciated that because of the binary nature of the addressing scheme of the invention, the addressing voitages may be readily controlled by a source of digital signals. Hence, patterns: may be displayed by the cells 13 in accordance with signals provided by a digital computer thus rendering the invention particu larly adaptable to providing computer controlled displays. The novel memory capability of the invention further enhances the adaptability of the display device 10 to this application as previously discussed. Specifically, 2" display cells are selectable by n addressing anodes and- Zn electrical connections to them.

It is further appreciated that since no series resistors are utilized in the circuits of the display cells 13, voltage drops do not occur when a large number of cells are ignited thus preventing faulty cell ignition prevalent in devices requiring these resistors.

In one embodiment of the display device 10, the following parameters were found to be suitable in a 4 X 4 array operating on the principles described above. The anode plate 16 and the addressing anodes 21-26 were 0.006 inches thick with a matrix of 0.020 inch diameter apertures whose centers were separated with respect to each other by 0.080 inches. The cathode plate was 0.010 inches thick and had apertures of 0.040 inch diameters. The insulating plates 29-34 and 69 were each 0.020 inches thick with the insulating plate 71 0.050 inches thick, each having a matrix of 0.040 inch diameter apertures. The shim 15 had a thickness of 0.100 inches. It is appreciated that the relatively small diameter apertures through the addressing anodes 21-26 tend to block extraneous light from appearing at the display cells 13 from the ionized gas in the reservoir 11. The device 10 was filled with a Penning mixture to a pressure of approximately 60 Torr.

Commensurate with the parameters given above, the source 17 applied -200 volts to the cathode 14 with respect to the anode 16 while the source 75 applied +200 volts to the anode 72 with respect to the cathode 70. The positive addressing potentials applied to the portions of the anodes 21-26 were 20, 40, 60, 80, and volts, respectively, with respect to the electrode 16 with a negative potential of ---40 volts applied to those portions where passage of a gas discharge column was to be prevented, as previously described.

It is to be understood that the operating parameters given are not critical and that departures therefrom may be made in practicing the invention.

It is now appreciated that although the preferred embodiment of the invention was explained in terms of an 8 X 8 matrix of 64 apertures, matrices of tens or hundreds of thousands of apertures maybe utilized in practical applications of the invention. Additionally, rectangular as well as square matrices may be utilized. It is further appreciated that the scope of the invention is not limited to matrix configurations or to the particular pattern of portions of the addressing anodes as described above. Other patterns of apertures and addressing portions may be utilized to similar effects in practicing the invention.

Referring now to FIG. 2, in which like reference numerals refer to like components with respect to FIG. 1, a modification to the invention as: described above is illustrated. The reservoir 11 of FIG. 1 is replaced by a cathode plate 85. With this arrangement, the portion 35 or the portion 36 of anode 21 through which gas discharge columns are produced requires a sufficiently large addressing voltage to initiate dishcarges from the cathode 85. Also, the resistor now in series with the cathode plate 85 is removed, or given a very low value to prevent appreciable voltage drop across it as the several discharge columns are ignited.

It is understood that the various plates required in the construction of the above described embodiments may be readily fabricated by well known photo-etching techniques thus providing a display device economical to manufacture.

it is now appreciated that the addressing anode plates 21-26 are of simpler construction than the addressing plates of prior art electron beam displays of the type previously described in that the apertures through the plates of the present invention do not require coating by a secondary electron emitting material as is required in the prior art devices. Furthermore, the impractical, large area cathodes required in the prior devices, as previously described, are not required in the present invention. The display device of the invention may utilize a readily realizable plasma reservoir or a simple cathode plate.

It is further appreciated that hollow cathode light sources may be utilized for the display cells 13 providing the advantages discussed in copending patent application S.N. 27,608, entitled Gas Discharge Display Apparatus Utilizing Hollow Cathode Light Source by CD. Lusting, filed on Apr. 13, 1970 and assigned to the assignee of the present invention.

While the invention has been described in its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the words which have been used are words of description rather than limitation and that changes may be made within the purview of the appended claims without departing from the true scope and spirit of the invention in its broader aspects.

We claim:

1. Gas discharge apparatus comprising:

reservoir means for containing an ionizable gas,

a plurality of gas discharge display memory cell means, and

a plurality of addressing electrode means interposed between said reservoir means and said display memory cell means and each having a plurality of apertures therethrough,

said plurality of addressing electrode means being in superposed arrangement with respect to each other with said apertures aligned to form a plurality of gas conductive channels coupling said reservoir means to said display memory cell means respectively,

said plurality of addressing electrode means being adapted for connection to sources of selectable electrical potential for selectively applying potentials to said addressing electrode means to selectively extend gas discharge columns in said channels from said reservoir means to said display memory cell means for igniting gas discharges in selected display memory cell means.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said reservoir means includes means for ionizing said ionizable gas contained therein.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which each said display memory cell means includes first and second display memory electrode means spaced apart with respect to each other for maintaining gas discharge sustaining potentials thereacross.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said plurality of addressing electrode means comprises a plurality of addressing plate means each comprising electrically conductive portions electrically isolated from each other, said apertures and portions being so arranged with respect to each other that with positive potentials applied to one said portion of each said plate means, gas dishcarge columns are extended from said reservoir means through selected channels thereby igniting gas discharges in said display memory cell means associated therewith.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 in which said portions and apertures are so arranged with respect to each other that with said positive potentials applied to one said portion of each said plate means at least one-half of the gas discharge columns incident upon each said plate means are inhibited from passage therethrough until one said gas discharge column passes through a selected aperture in the last plate in said superposed arrangement thereby igniting a gas discharge in said display memory cell means associated therewith.

6. Gas discharge display apparatus comprising cathode plate means,

anode plate means having a plurality of apertures therethrough and spaced from said cathode plate means forming a reservoir for containing an ionizable gas,

said cathode and anode plate means being adapted for connection therebetween of a source of ionizing potential,

a plurality of gas discharge display memory cell means, and

a plurality of addressing plate means interposed between said reservoir and said display memory cell means and each having a plurality of apertures therethrough,

said plurality of addressing plate means being in superposed arrangement with respect to each other and with respect to said anode plate means with said apertures aligned to form a plurality of' gas conductive channels coupling said reservoir to said display memory cell means respectively,

said plurality of addressing plate means being adapted for connection to sources of selectable electrical potential for selectively applying potentials to said addressing plate means to selectively extend gas discharge columns in said channels from said reservoir to said display memory cell means for igniting gas discharges in selected display memory cell means.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 in which each said addressing plate means comprises electrically conductive portions electrically isolated from each other, said apertures and portions being so arranged with respect to 0 each other that with positive potentials applied to one said portion of each said addressing plate means, gas discharge columns are extended from said reservoir through selected channels thereby igniting gas discharges in said display memory cell means associated therewith.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 in which each said display memory cell means comprises:

first display memory electrode means having an aperture therethrough coupled with an associated one of said channels, and

second display memory electrode means spaced from said first display memory electrode means, said first and second display memory electrode means being adapted for connection therebetween of a source of gas discharge sustaining potential.

9. Gas discharge display apparatus comprising cathode means,

a plurality of gas discharge display memory cell means, and

a plurality of addressing anode means interposed between said cathode means and said display memory cell means and each having a plurality of apertures therethrough,

said plurality of addressing anode means being in superposed arrangement with respect to each other with said apertures aligned to form a plurality of channels for containing ionizable gas, said plurality of channels extending from said cathode means to said display memory cell means, respectively,

said plurality of addressing anode means being adapted for connection to sources of selectable electrical potential with respect to said cathode means for selectively applying potentials to said addressing anode means to selectively form gas discharge columns in said channels for igniting gas discharges in selected display memory cell means.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 in which each said display memory cell means includes first and second display memory electrode means .spaced apart with respect to each other for maintaining gas discharge sustaining potentials thereacross. I

11. The apparatus of claim 9 in which said plurality of addressing anode means comprises aplurality of addressing plate means each comprising electrically conductive portions electrically isolated from each other, said apertures and portions being so arranged with respect to each other that with positive potentials applied with respect to said cathode means to one said portion of each said plate means, gas discharge columns are formed in selected channels thereby igniting gas discharges in said display memory cell means associated therewith.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 in which said portions and apertures are so arranged with respect to each other that with said positive potentials applied to one said portion of each said plate means at least one-half of the gas discharge columns incident upon each said means comprises plate means are inhibited from passage therethrough until one said gas discharge column passes through a I selected aperture in the last plate in said superposed arrangement thereby igniting a gas discharge in said display memory cell means associated therewith.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 in which each said display memory cell means comprises:

first display memory electrode means having an aperture therethrough coupled with an associated one of said channels, and second display memory electrode means spaced from said first display memory electrode means, said first and second display memory electrode means being adapted for connection therebetween of a source of gas discharge sustaining potential. 14. Gas discharge display apparatus comprising: reservoir means for containing an ionizable gas, a plurality of memory means, and a plurality of addressing electrode means interposed between said reservoir means and said memory means and each having a plurality of apertures therethrough, said plurality of addressing electrode means being in superposed arrangement with respect to each other with said apertures aligned to form a plurality of gas conductive channels coupling said reservoir means to said memory means respectively, said plurality of addressing electrode means being adapted for connection to sources of selectable electrical potential for selectively applying potentials to said addressing electrode means to selectively extend gas discharge columns in said channels from said reservoir means to said memory means for activating selected memory means corresponding thereto. 15. The apparatus of claim 14 in which said memory gas discharge display cell means. 16. The apparatus of claim 1 in which each said display memory cell means comprises:

first display memory electrode means having an aperture therethrough coupled with an associated one of said channels, and second display memory electrode means spaced from said first display memory electrode means, said first and second display memory electrode means being adapted for connection therebetween of a source of gas discharge sustaining potential. 17. The apparatus of claim 1 in which each said addressing electrode means comprises anode means. 

1. Gas discharge apparatus comprising: reservoir means for containing an ionizable gas, a plurality of gas discharge display memory cell means, and a plurality of addressing electrode means interposed between said reservoir means and said display memory cell means and each having a plurality of apertures therethrough, said plurality of addressing electrode means being in superposed arrangement with respect to each other with said apertures aligned to form a plurality of gas conductive channels coupling said reservoir means to said display memory cell means respectively, said plurality of addressing electrode means being adapted for connection to sources of selectable electrical potential for selectively applying potentials to said addressing electrode means to selectively extend gas discharge columns in said channels from said reservoir means to said display memory cell means for igniting gas discharges in selected display memory cell means.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said reservoir means includes means for ionizing said ionizable gas contained therein.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which each said display memory cell means includes first and second display memory electrode means spaced apart with respect to each other for maintaining gas discharge sustaining potentials thereacross.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said plurality of addressing electrode means comprises a plurality of addressing plate means each comprising electrically conductive portions electrically isolated from each other, said apertures and portions being so arranged with respect to each other that with positive potentials applied to one said portion of each said plate means, gas dishcarge columns are extended from said reservoir means through selected channels thereby igniting gas discharges in said display memory cell means associated therewith.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4 in which said portions and apertures are so arranged with respect to each other that with said positive potentials applied to one said portion of each said plate means at least one-half of the gas discharge columns incident upon each said plate means are inhibited from passage therethrough until one said gas discharge column passes through a selected aperture in the last plate in said superposed arrangement thereby igniting a gas discharge in said display memory cell means associated therewith.
 6. Gas discharge display apparatus comprising cathode plate means, anode plate means having a plurality of apertures therethrough and spaced from said cathode plate means forming a reservoir for containing an ionizable gas, said cathode and anode plate means being adapted for connection therebetween of a source of ionizing potential, a plurality of gas discharge display memory cell means, and a plurality of addressing plate means interposed between said reservoir and said display memory cell means and each having a plurality of apertures therethrough, said plurality of addressing plate means being in superposed arrangement with respect to each other and with respect to said anode plate means with said apertures aligned to form a plurality of gas conductive channels coupling said reservoir to said display memory cell means respectively, said plurality of addressing plate means being adapted for connection to sources of selectable electrical potential for selectively applying potentials to said addressing plate means to selectively extend gas discharge columns in said channels from said reservoir to said display memory cell means for igniting gas discharges in selected display memory cell means.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6 in which each said addressing plate means comprises electrically conductive portions electrically isolated from each other, said apertures and portions being so arranged with respect to each other that With positive potentials applied to one said portion of each said addressing plate means, gas discharge columns are extended from said reservoir through selected channels thereby igniting gas discharges in said display memory cell means associated therewith.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7 in which each said display memory cell means comprises: first display memory electrode means having an aperture therethrough coupled with an associated one of said channels, and second display memory electrode means spaced from said first display memory electrode means, said first and second display memory electrode means being adapted for connection therebetween of a source of gas discharge sustaining potential.
 9. Gas discharge display apparatus comprising cathode means, a plurality of gas discharge display memory cell means, and a plurality of addressing anode means interposed between said cathode means and said display memory cell means and each having a plurality of apertures therethrough, said plurality of addressing anode means being in superposed arrangement with respect to each other with said apertures aligned to form a plurality of channels for containing ionizable gas, said plurality of channels extending from said cathode means to said display memory cell means, respectively, said plurality of addressing anode means being adapted for connection to sources of selectable electrical potential with respect to said cathode means for selectively applying potentials to said addressing anode means to selectively form gas discharge columns in said channels for igniting gas discharges in selected display memory cell means.
 10. The apparatus of claim 9 in which each said display memory cell means includes first and second display memory electrode means spaced apart with respect to each other for maintaining gas discharge sustaining potentials thereacross.
 11. The apparatus of claim 9 in which said plurality of addressing anode means comprises a plurality of addressing plate means each comprising electrically conductive portions electrically isolated from each other, said apertures and portions being so arranged with respect to each other that with positive potentials applied with respect to said cathode means to one said portion of each said plate means, gas discharge columns are formed in selected channels thereby igniting gas discharges in said display memory cell means associated therewith.
 12. The apparatus of claim 11 in which said portions and apertures are so arranged with respect to each other that with said positive potentials applied to one said portion of each said plate means at least one-half of the gas discharge columns incident upon each said plate means are inhibited from passage therethrough until one said gas discharge column passes through a selected aperture in the last plate in said superposed arrangement thereby igniting a gas discharge in said display memory cell means associated therewith.
 13. The apparatus of claim 9 in which each said display memory cell means comprises: first display memory electrode means having an aperture therethrough coupled with an associated one of said channels, and second display memory electrode means spaced from said first display memory electrode means, said first and second display memory electrode means being adapted for connection therebetween of a source of gas discharge sustaining potential.
 14. Gas discharge display apparatus comprising: reservoir means for containing an ionizable gas, a plurality of memory means, and a plurality of addressing electrode means interposed between said reservoir means and said memory means and each having a plurality of apertures therethrough, said plurality of addressing electrode means being in superposed arrangement with respect to each other with said apertures aligned to form a plurality of gas conductive channels coupling said reservoir means to said memory means respectively, said plurality of addressing electrode mEans being adapted for connection to sources of selectable electrical potential for selectively applying potentials to said addressing electrode means to selectively extend gas discharge columns in said channels from said reservoir means to said memory means for activating selected memory means corresponding thereto.
 15. The apparatus of claim 14 in which said memory means comprises gas discharge display cell means.
 16. The apparatus of claim 1 in which each said display memory cell means comprises: first display memory electrode means having an aperture therethrough coupled with an associated one of said channels, and second display memory electrode means spaced from said first display memory electrode means, said first and second display memory electrode means being adapted for connection therebetween of a source of gas discharge sustaining potential.
 17. The apparatus of claim 1 in which each said addressing electrode means comprises anode means. 